Expanding the Wisconsin Center convention hall for $200 million will boost Milwaukee’s convention business but city leaders also need to increase Milwaukee’s attractiveness as a destination for visitors — possibly through a new downtown entertainment district, according to a consultant hired by the Wisconsin Center District.

A concept for an entertainment district on the site of the current BMO Harris Bradley Center and an area immediately north of that was included in the HVS report the Wisconsin Center board reviewed Wednesday morning.

The entertainment district potentially could include a covered walkway connecting the district to the convention center, an outdoor plaza, office, retail and potentially a new sports and entertainment arena, according to the HVS concept.

The new development would create destination features for both visitors and local residents, Hazinski said.

“It’s a revitalization project that could be an extremely important catalyzing development for downtown,” Hazinski told the board. “It would create a lot of benefits for the community as a whole.”

Wisconsin Center board chairman Frank Gimbel said he will share the HVS report, including the entertainment center district concept, with the Cultural and Entertainment Assets Capital Needs Task Force. Gimbel serves on the 48-member task force that is considering future needs and funding for the convention center as well as sports, entertainment and cultural venues.

Gimbel noted that the HVS concept for an entertainment district makes “some rather humongous assumptions.”

They include:

A new arena will be built in downtown Milwaukee;

The BMO Harris Bradley Center will be demolished;

The site of a new arena will be north of the BMO Harris Bradley Center; and

All the key players on the issue “will hold hands.”

“It’s a puzzle with a lot of pieces but before you see what it means, you’ve got a lot of people who have got to put their particular pieces in place,” Gimbel said.

As far as the expansion, the eastern half of the convention center would be extended from West Wells Street to West Kilbourn Avenue under the HVS proposal. A new entrance would be created on Kilbourn.

The expansion would be built on what is now a surface parking lot. A new double-deck lot would be created on the northwestern sector of the property.

HVS recommends expanding the center’s exhibit space to 250,000 square feet from the current 189,000; expanding ballroom space to 50,000 square feet from 37,500; and nearly doubling meeting space from the current 39,640 square feet.

Wisconsin Center board members asked a few questions of Hazinski but took no action. The district board approved spending $60,000, split between the district and Visit Milwaukee, in October 2013 for the study.

Board member and Milwaukee city comptroller Marty Matson asked whether HVS could show the amount of new business the convention center would see in return for spending an estimated $200 million on expansion.

Hazinski said the expansion would help the Wisconsin Center improve its performance in five measures used in the convention industry, including economic impact and employment. HVS estimates an expansion would create more than 600 permanent jobs directly and indirectly through related hospitality and transportation businesses.

Without the expansion, the Wisconsin Center will continue to see declines in the number of events held there as convention planners choose other cities with better facilities, Hazinski said. In 2012, the latest year figures are available, the center hosted 195 events, which was the second-lowest since 2001. That figure will decline to about 170 without an expansion but would increase to 220 with an expansion, Hazinski said.

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